Today's Features

The Mesa Public Library presents GeekOut Game night from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Bing your own games, or play the library’s games.

The Sierra Club will meet at 7 p.m. in the upstairs meeting rooms of Mesa Public Library. Mesa Michael Richie will provide a geological overview of the New Mexico Badlands.

Thursday
The Valles Caldera fall highway cleanup will be at 5 p.m. Meet at the entrance of Ponderosa Campground and carpool to the Valles Caldera. Bring work gloves, bags will be supplied. For more information, call David Gemeinhart at 662-6267.

In these days of iPods and podcasts, “pod person” has taken on an entirely new connotation. But in the old days, it was quite an insult. It implied you were emotionless, empty, heartless and flat — in short, not human, just like the aliens who replicated themselves as near-exact copies of human beings in the “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.”
For those who crave the creepy, Mesa Public Library will kick off the autumnal edition of its Free Film Series this week with a screening of the 1950s sci-fi classic.

Alexandra Hehlen of Los Alamos, and a Teen Pulse staff member, was recently selected to participate in the 2011 Miss Jr. Teen Albuquerque pageant competition Oct. 30. Hehlen learned of her acceptance into this year’s competition when the pageant announced its selections at the end of September. Hehlen submitted an application and took part in an interview session that was conducted by this year’s Albuquerque pageant coordinator.

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Three U.S.-born scientists won the Nobel Prize in physics on Tuesday for overturning a fundamental assumption in their field by showing that the expansion of the universe is constantly accelerating.

Their discovery created a new portrait of the eventual fate of the universe: a place of super-low temperatures and black skies unbroken by the light of galaxies moving away from each other at incredible speed.

Physicists had assumed for decades that the expansion of the universe was getting ever-slower, meaning that in billions of years it would resemble today's universe in many important ways.

Mr. and Mrs. Clint Bowyer are please to announce the engagement of their son, Justin Bowyer, to Lindsey Pirtle. Lindsey is the daughter of Dr. Scott Pirtle and Heidi Pirtle of Las Cruces. Justin is a graduate of Los Alamos High School and a New Mexico State University graduate with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mechanical engineering. Justin is currently employed at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Lindsey is a graduate of Las Cruces High School and received her bachelor’s degree in merchandising and marketing from New Mexico State University. Lindsey is currently employed at Los Alamos High School. The couple plan to wed in September 2012 in Las Cruces.

Lara Heflin, PhD and David Pan, PhD were married on May 28, 2011 at Hacienda Dona Andrea in Cerrillos.
The bride is the daughter of Harry Heflin of Duarte, Calif. and Dawn Allard of San Diego, Calif.
The groom is the son of Paul and Jasmine Pan of White Rock.
The maid of honor was Tanya Rice of San Diego, Calif., sister of the bride. Bridesmaids were Ashley Borders, Sindy Oh-Liverant and Jessica Brommelhoff, graduate school friends of the bride.
The best man was Jesse Lorenz of Phoenix, Ariz., college friend of the groom. Groomsmen were Kent Sabo, John Bilderbeck and Jose Bilderbeck, college friends of the groom.

The New Mexico Restaurant Association held its Annual Membership Meeting and has installed the 2011-2012 slate of Board of Directors for the association.
Several restaurateurs from the Santa Fe area will continue to serve on the board of directors for 2011-2012.
These include Al Lucero (Maria’s NewMexican Kitchen) and Fernando Olea (Bert’s Burger Bowl/Bert’s La Taqueria).
There are also several directors from Northern New Mexico who will also be on the 2011-2012 board. These include Florence Jaramillo from Rancho de Chimayó (Chimayó) and Joan Duran from De Colores (Los Alamos). Bert Clemens from Laguna Vista Lodge, Historic Restaurant and Saloon in Eagle Nest was elected as chairman of the board for 2011-2012.

Sheree Lynch, executive state director for the Mrs. New Mexico Pageant, said the pageant is seeking applicants for the title of Mrs. Los Alamos. Once selected, the lady will advance on to represent her community in the 2012 Mrs. New Mexico Pageant on Feb. 4, 2012 at the Rodey Theatre in Albuquerque.
Local titleholders will compete to win a prize package valued at over $8,000, including an all-expense-paid trip to the nationally televised Mrs. America Pageant. Applicants must be at least 18 years old (no age limit), married at the time of competition and a New Mexico resident, no performing talent required.
To request the official application or for information, call Lynch at 970-674-0944 or visit www.mrsnewmexico
america.com.

All children promoted to third through eighth grade are welcome to join free of charge. The centers are located at 475 20th Street (by Ashley Pond) and 10 Sherwood Blvd., Piñon Park. Call 662-9412 or 672-1565 for information.

La Leche League of Los Alamos will discuss “Why breastfeed your baby?” at their monthly meeting at 10 a.m. Monday in the Nursery at the United Church, 2525 Canyon Road.
All interested, pregnant, or breastfeeding women are welcome to learn and share, through mother-to-mother support, the basics and benefits of breastfeeding.
A lending library with books and audiotapes concerning childbirth, breastfeeding, parenting and nutrition is available.
Nursing babies and toddlers who have difficulty separating are welcome.
LLL is an international, nonprofit, nonsectarian organization dedicated to providing information, education, support and encouragement to women who want to breastfeed.